When I create a sequence complete with perfectly placed chapter markers in Premiere Pro CS6 and send it to Encore via the dynamic link everything appears fine (it even simulates perfectly) until I build a DVD in Encore. After the build in Encore most of the chapter markers have shifted and are no longer perfectly placed. It's as if Encore encodes the video without regard to the chapter marker information and then adds them onto the already encoded video where they have limitations on which GOP frames they can appear. Shouldn't Encore take the chapter markers into account while encoding the video? The way around this I found is to export the sequence from PP and then import the video into Encore. All is well if I do it this way but I like the advantages of dynamic link. Encore just doesn't seem to respect the chapter marker information. Am I missing something or is this just a flaw in Encore?

My source video consists of SD AVI clips from a film transfer. I don't sense that they're an issue. I have now observed this behaviour with 4 different projects including a 10-second test sequence I have built to more quickly try different things. My 10-second test sequence consists of 10 1-second clips with chapter markers at the beginning of each clip. Sure enough when I send the sequence from PR to EN via the dynamic link and build a menu all appears to be fine including verifying the project with the preview function in EN. I then build to a folder for DVD and near the end of the build I can even see EN change some the chapter marker locations as some of my menu thumbnail pictures even change to accommodate the re-positioned markers. The markers always move backward in time which make the problem obvious because the thumbnails are showing the wrong scene entirely (and yes I verify that the markers have actually re-positioned by examining the timeline in EN). This behaviour is consistent and repeatable from whatever I'm doing. Again, I found the workaround that works is to export the sequence from PR and then import the video to EN. The chapters remain in place. Exporting from PR ties it up though while the video is building. That is (or would be) one big advantage of sending to EN via the dynamic link which I would like to use if it worked properly for me.

If I just focus on the second chapter marker in my test sequence (given the automatic first chapter marker is at 0 sec.) it is at 1:01 in the timeline which is off the GOP boundary of 15 frames. When I build the timeline this marker moves 1 frame back to 1 sec., a GOP boundary. Doesn't sound like a big deal but that puts the marker into the previous clip on my time line which causes the automatic thumbnail in my menu to be wrong and there's a little flicker when you jump to this chapter on DVD playback as it plays this one odd frame.

I guess I am transcoding during the build (am I not supposed to?) but I have since tried your idea of trying "transcode now" before the build. It sounded promising. While looking at my second chapter marker in the timeline I clicked transcode now and watched the marker jump back 1 frame. Cool, but I'd rather it didn't do that.

You are right I don't need a menu to examine this. It's just that the thumbnails changing in my menu after a build were the firts indication to me that something was going wrong. Again if I import a file that's already transcoded to En this isn't an issue.

It just looks like En doesn't respect chapter marker locations through the dynamic link to Pr and it should. It rather transcodes first and then adds in the chapter markers as close as it can to their original locations. It's possible I am missing something in my workflow but it at least sounds like you understand what I am experiencing.

Can you try modifying your test by creating a couple of 1-sec clips in Pr sequence with a chapter marker between them (so your first one is at 1:01) and then see if the same thing happens to your first chapter marker?

In an effort to eliminate some variables I tried another test. I created a sequence in Pr using only titles. I created 4 titles each 1:01 long and each having a sequential text number. I placed them in a sequence (all working in DV NTSC) next to each other and put an encore chapter marker between each one. There is therefore a chapter marker at 1:01, 2:02, and 3:03. I click dynamic link to En, and create a timeline there with this sequence. Upon inspection of the timeline in En, the chapter markers are all in place. I click transcode now and all the chapter markers move now appearing at 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00 respectively. I don't think En should do this.

I wonder about the mjpeg avi's. Take another peak at mjpeg properties in Premiere, and the sequence settings. But I don't see how that would create this anyway. When I change frame rates, etc, Encore still transcodes to the same placement as PR.

I was using the 1:01 chapter marker position because a marker that is at 1:00 is already on a COP boundary when the GOP length is 15 frames so it wouldn't have to move to get onto an appropriate GOP frame which to me is what it looks like Encore is doing to me when my marker is at say 1:01. What I am seeing looks like En is encoding my sequence to mpeg2 and then plugging in my chapter makers to the closest possible frames. You can even try this on a sequence that is already encoded. Try adding a chapter marker to a timeline (in En) at time 1:01 or 1:02 or 1:03 and it won't go there. It will jump to a 15-frame boundary. En should be creating I-frames at my chapter points when it transcodes so the chapter markers can be in the correct position in the video. It doesn't seem to do that for me but you're saying it does transcode such chapter markers correctly for you is that right?

Just as another note, afte I transcode a sequence in En where it moves my chapter markers, I have to click on the respective En timeline for it to refresh before I see the new (wrong) chapter marker positions.

it wouldn't have to move to get onto an appropriate GOP frame which to me is what it looks like Encore is doing to me when my marker is at say 1:01.

Encore (or Premiere for that matter) starts a new gop at a marker. So it should not matter, as long as you are dealing with non-gop material to begin with. That is what is very odd about this: export from Premiere, markers stay in place. Transcode in Encore, they do not. Either one, should do what Premiere is. For me, both work as they should.

I agree with you. For me Pr encodes it correctly (vis a vis chapter marker positions) and En does not even though they are both starting from a non-gop source. Since it works for you, which is a valuable clue, there must be something I have set differently. There are only so many options though so I am at a bit of a loss as to what to try. I am using a MAC Pro for my editing - not that it should matter but are you on a mac or a pc?

No audio in my test footage but there was audio in the orginal footage that first showed the problem. I would have though Pr and En use the same encoding S/W so I am at a loss as to why only En does this. It's possible that En sets up the transcode operation but neglects to include the chapter information until after the transcode is done. I did try another little test where I manually insert chapter markers on a sequence in En at 1:01, 2:02 etc. and upon trarnscoding they also move to what looks like post encoding gop boundaries of 1:00, 2:00 etc. So I now have Pr and the dynamic link function out of the variables. En is doing this to me all on its own!

In addition to my Mac pro I also have a Macbook pro with the Adobe suite on it and in a quick test I observe the exact same behaviour with shifting chapter markers. Arguably I probably follow a similar workflow with similar settings no matter what computer I am using but here is a completely different piece of hardware with none of the same media on it that has En doing does the same (wrong) thing.

I have an associate I contacted who is running CS6 on a mac. He even has a more recent O/S than me (Mountain Lion vesus Snow Leopard - y'know mac-speak) and I called him to do this chapter marker test. Live on the phone I asked him to import a DV sequence into En and place a chapter marker at 1:01 and then click transcode now. Bingo - his chapter marker moved to 1:00. En shouldn't do this. I am beginning to think there is a genuine issue with En transcoding that is unrelated to any possible setup parameters. As you pointed out this behaviour is a big no-no for anyone who cares to still author DVDs. I don't have a suitable PC to try this on and my licenses are used up on my macs anyway. If you are absolutely certain your version of En isn't exhibiting this phenomenon is there a path to raise this issue higher?